The theory British royal Diana, Princess of Wales was murdered has been boosted by the recent discovery her chauffeur received mystery payments amounting to $142,000 - just weeks before she died in the car he was driving.

Chauffeur Henri Paul died alongside Diana and her lover Dodi Al Fayed when the Mercedes he was driving crashed in an underpass in Paris, France in August 1997. And British detectives investigating the tragedy have fuelled speculation Paul was being paid by British secret service agents, by revealing the staggering sums he received from British banks just before the fatal accident.

Financial investigators have also revealed Paul had staggering amounts of money in 13 bank accounts around the world, despite earning just $38,000 a year as a driver for Paris' Ritz hotel, reports British newspaper the Daily Express.

A source close to the inquiry explains, "Money was drafted over to Paul from accounts in England. As far as the investigation is concerned, this is a crucial breakthrough. "Many thousands of pounds arrived from Britain in the weeks leading up to the tragedy. It arrived via a banker's draft and was converted into French francs from sterling."

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Pop icon Madonna admits she took her sexy image too far in the early stage of her career.

The 46-year-old singer and actress says her attitude - which included suggestive songs such as Like A Virgin, daring concerts and releasing the provocative book Sex in 1992 - may have misled fans.

"Sometimes I was being overtly sexy for the sake of showing off when I didn't need to be. I think I hurt myself. "Ultimately none of us wants to be judged, or approved of, or loved because of the way we look, or how sexy we are," the singer tells Ladies' Home Journal.

"One minute I was saying 'believe in yourself' and the next minute I was saying 'just be sexually provocative'. "I was letting it pump up my ego, thinking 'aren't I great, they're writing about me, my picture's on the cover of every magazine, I'm so fabulous'," she says.

--So the cone bra was taking it too far? Surely not...

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Staying together was not part of Destiny's Child's destiny - the multiplatinum group is splitting up.

In a statement released to MTV News, the trio of Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams announced plans to disband after their world tour ends in the fall.

"We have been working together as Destiny's Child since we were 9, and touring together since we were 14. After a lot of discussion and some deep soul-searching, we realized that our current tour has given us the opportunity to leave Destiny's Child on a high note, united in our friendship and filled with an overwhelming gratitude for our music, our fans, and each other," the statement said.

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Nicole Kidman was in mourning as she prepared to premiere "Bewitched" last night.

A few days ago she learned her longtime makeup artist, Rob McCann, 45, had died suddenly of natural causes. A distraught Kidman mustered enough strength to appear on "The View" yesterday, but no-showed "Good Morning America." "She just completely blew it off," said an insider. She later guested on David Letterman's show.

Insiders buzz that Kidman might be reluctant to promote the film because it's a stinker, but the Aussie beauty is too professional to let that interfere with her duties. "McCann was a good friend of hers and she is devastated," said a source.

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Actress Alicia Silverstone married rocker Chris Jarecki over the weekend.

A publicist for the couple says the two vegans tied the knot in romantic Lake Tahoe. Silverstone gained major fame playing the role of a spoiled-but-sweet Beverly Hills girl in the hit 1995 film 'Clueless.' She went on to star in Hollywood hits like 'Batman & Robin.' Jarecki is the lead singer for an L.A.-based rock band called Stun.

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Click here for cast info and trailers for the upcoming Rent movie.

Thanks for the tip, Iceman.

--I'm SO hoping this is good.

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Teen star Lindsay Lohan has been persuaded to drop her partying lifestyle for the sake of her new Disney film Herbie: Fully Loaded.

The 18-year-old actress's antics have been the talk of Hollywood, but Nina Jacobson, head of Disney distributors Buena Vista, warned her that movie moguls feared her wild streak could interfere with filming. She says, "Nina sat me down and talked with me about it..."

"They've put a lot of money into the movie - and they need to make sure the person is going to be there to get the job done."

--Oh come on. I think it would be a good way to get the name of the movie out there. Can't you just see the headlines? "Lindsay: Fully Loaded." Any press is good press!

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Tired of celebrity coverage? Millions of readers can't get enough - and neither can advertisers. Publishers of celebrity magazines that once looked to newsstand and checkout-aisle sales for almost all of their revenue are now experiencing surges in subscriptions and ad sales, bringing in the kind of money that could make a movie star jealous.

Us Weekly's ad pages are up nearly 25 percent in the last year, and at Star Magazine, ads are up almost 17 percent, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. In Touch Weekly's ads have risen nearly 22 percent.

Advertisers are finding star-focused magazines to be advertising-friendly environments. "People typically read those magazines front to back, and that's always a good thing for an advertiser," said Bill Koenigsberg, chief executive of Horizon Media, an ad agency based in New York. Mr. Koenigsberg added that more advertisers had become interested in reaching women, who make up the bulk of celebrity magazine readership. Most ads in these magazines were traditionally for beauty products and other goods aimed at women. Now a wider range of advertisers want to be there, publishers said.

American Media Inc., which publishes Star, and the Bauer Publishing Company, which owns Life and Style Weekly and In Touch, are recording increases in ads for cars, pharmaceuticals and consumer electronics. Schering-Plough, for example, recently ran an ad for its drug Nasonex in Star and in Inside TV, which is published by Gemstar-TV Guide International. Canon is advertising its digital cameras in the current issue of In Touch Weekly.

Us Weekly's publisher, Vicci Lasdon Rose, said she had noticed a change in interest among car companies and electronics makers. "As recently as five years ago, I can remember them telling me they appreciate the female consumer, but they would likely not market to them," Ms. Rose said.

The advertisers are responding in part to rising circulation. Average total sales of Star, People, Us Weekly and In Touch Weekly combined were up 11.6 percent at the end of last year from 2003, with Star and In Touch sales rising about 80 percent, according to data from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

--We already knew Americans were gossiphounds though, right? I mean, why else would you read MP&S?

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The stars of TV series Nip/Tuck have been paid massive bonuses before shooting for the third series gets underway.

Julian McMahon, who has expressed his interest in taking over from Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, and Dylan Walsh have both received bonuses believed to be worth $300,000 from TV network FX and their Warner Bros Television producers. Joely Richardson has also received an undisclosed lump sum of money. She will be joined in the upcoming series by fellow British actress Rhona Mitra who will play a tough-talking policewoman.

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Russell's not the only celeb who has had a run in at a hotel.

The story is a familiar one: A big-name star has been arrested for aggressive or unlawful behavior in an exclusive luxury hotel.

Furniture may have been ripped to pieces, or perhaps glass and bottles are shattered on the once-perfectly carpeted floor after a long night of rowdy behavior. Charges are then considered, and the gossip hounds go wild over the salacious details.

Click here for the rest.

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Hollywood stars including Cameron Diaz, Lindsay Lohan, Halle Berry and Reese Witherspoon are joining forces with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to act against "aggressive" paparazzi.

While the actors accept media attention is part of their job, they want authorities to take further measures to prevent photographers who "overstep the line" by ambushing the celebrities, risking physical injury to the stars or the public. Last week photographer Gaio Ramirez was charged with assault for allegedly ramming into teen actress Lohan's vehicle on purpose to create a photo opportunity for other snappers. The Mean Girls star suffered minor injuries.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper says, "The investigation centers on whether celebrity photographers are being instructed on how to obscure their identities, block license plates, appear in the same place at the same time, or work together to force celebrities off the road and out of their vehicles."

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1 Paris is that you

Posted by: Lisa at June 13, 2005 01:11 PM (hkGvr)

2 Wow. She's uber-skinny.

Posted by: Kevvy the Unnamed Source at June 13, 2005 01:46 PM (qb+8W)

3 She used to be really pretty. As far as arresting the paparattzi, I'm all for it. The paparazzi often cross the line.

Posted by: Eric at June 13, 2005 03:53 PM (LOtAM)

4 wow, she really turned into a stick figure didnt she. I applaud her for going after the paparrazi...those people need to get a real job.

Posted by: j.klein at June 13, 2005 06:09 PM (WtFNK)

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Steve Madden is back!

The shoe designer, who went to jail for stock fraud for 21/2 years, is leaving the halfway house where he's lived since his April 14 release to go back to work.

Madden showed up to his "Shoe Show" last Wednesday at the Madden showroom on West 56th Street "with his new, toned body, fully running around networking and chatting with all the distributors he has missed while being away," a witness said. "The place is packed and there are lines of people who want to meet him." Madden was heard saying, "I am back and getting back to work!"

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1 Actually, I don't think that's the halfway house in the background. I think that's the side of the NY State Supreme Court, NY County, at 60 Centre Street.

Posted by: RP at June 13, 2005 09:46 AM (LlPKh)

2 I didn't know he got busted for stock fraud, what rock have I been living under? lol

Posted by: Shannon at June 13, 2005 12:27 PM (V5fwq)

3 Shannon, not as big a rock as me -- I've never heard of him

Posted by: Ith at June 13, 2005 05:19 PM (8CL1r)

4 I GOT PICS OF MADDEN WHILE HE WAS IN PRISON!

Posted by: JG at October 22, 2005 12:45 PM (5euyw)

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"I can't see him in public."

That's what Angelina Jolie said shortly after 11 p.m. to a male associate as he was steering her toward Brad Pitt at Tuesday night's premiere afterparty for the new killer comedy, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which opened in theaters Friday and stole the box office.

The sexy co-stars, who play married assassins in the film, and whose real-life relationship has been the subject of much speculation, held court on opposite sides of Westwood's Hammer Museum courtyard for more than an hour. But practically the entire room of curious partygoers - many with cameras raised - formed a circle around the pair as Pitt, 41, surrounded by his camp of guards and publicists, approached 30-year-old Jolie moments later and said into her ear: "Can you believe this craziness?"

The two once again turned their backs to each other and separated. Pitt's security brigade then hurried him down to the parking garage via the front lobby. Jolie was led out a side door. Guests including Lindsay Lohan, Paula Abdul and Adam Brody partied a while longer. But with Pitt and Jolie gone, the once-hot party quickly lost steam.

Hours earlier, Jolie arrived on the red carpet in a skin-tight black leather Versace dress. She signed autographs for two bleachers full of fans, many UCLA students, who were all given Mr. & Mrs. Smith T-shirts - black "Mr." tees for the men and white "Mrs." tees for the women. Among the celebrity guests who hurried down the carpet into the theater were Lost star Matthew Fox, director Oliver Stone and supermodel Cindy Crawford.

Jolie finally reached journalists at 7:45 p.m. The actress politely extricated herself from any reporter who tried to ask anything she deemed too personal. She gave brief responses to other questions, including about son Maddox, 3. "He's home," she said. Pitt, in a black leather jacket, didn't do any interviews. He visited the red carpet just long enough to pose for photos.

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Britney Spears' pregnancy has inspired actress Tori Spelling to design a special charm necklace for the pop beauty.

Former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Spelling, who recently began designing 14-carat gold charm necklaces, created an Oh, Baby version for dancer Kevin Federline to give to his wife Spears after hearing the Toxic singer was expecting.

--I wonder if perhaps Spelling isn't hard at work on a "Your babydaddy dumped you" version.

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Barbara Walters is under fire from the pro-breastfeeding lobby in New York after she said on "The View" that she felt "uncomfortable" when a nursing mom started suckling her child next to her on a flight.

Miriam Arond, editor-in-chief of Child magazine, told Page Six that Walters' comments were "bizarre" as she had been a "trailblazer for women."

She added, "Breast-feeding is very fashionable now. Mothers like Pamela Anderson, Madonna, Jada Pinkett Smith, Princess Diana, Laura Bush and even Hillary Clinton all breast-fed."

--Breastfeeding is fashionable? I have a few friends who have babies, and they never do that in public. If it's absolutely necessary (like on a plane ride or something) I'd totally understand. But, most people don't want to see you whip out the milk bar in full view.

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1 besides, she didn't say she was uncomfortable with it, just uncomfortable seeing it! Jeeze O Pete!

Posted by: robin at June 13, 2005 09:24 AM (qM8fh)

2 The La Leche League needs to remember that other folks have the right to voice an opinion too.I really don't care if it's done discreetly but I've seen women who seemed to want to make a statement with their bare breasts and baby.

Posted by: Nanc' at June 13, 2005 09:50 AM (Ailrt)

3 breastfeeding is a very difficult thing to do, but as all sources agree that it is the best thing to do for your child for a variety of reasons, i wouldn't condemn it until you have been in that position. sometimes the alternative to feeding in public is a very unhappy screaming baby in public, and that certainly draws a bigger crowd. though i agree, it can be done very discreetly. ya knew you were going to draw one of us zealots out of the crowd. also- please don't ever suggest to a nursing mother to feed her baby in the bathroom. would you like to eat in there?

Posted by: Apedogg at June 13, 2005 12:50 PM (Y14V1)

4 Walters and anyone else who is uncomfortable seeing someone breastfeed certainly has the right to say so. But breastfeeding has nothing to do with being fashionable. It's simply a way - the most convenient and least costly way, in my opinion - to feed one's child. I'd much rather a fed baby than a screaming baby. And I don't think it's fair to expect women to hide out in their homes for 6 months or a year or however long they breastfeed so as to avoid offending someone's delicate sensibilities. On the other hand, one can certainly be discreet about the process.

Posted by: Kelly at June 13, 2005 01:01 PM (M7kiy)

5 I think it's the faction of people who want to make a statement about it that bother me. I worked in a restaurant all thru college (this was back in the late 80s/early 90s) and saw women several times breast feeding babies in the dining room. 90% of the time they'd throw a blanket over themselves so as to avoid exposure. The middleground is simple: at least make an attempt at discretion. But whenever I'd make my "middleground" statement, I'd get treated like a narrow minded caveman. I get tired of the "all or nothing" arguments for any cause and the subsequent shouting down of anybody who contradicts them. It doesn't serve anybody's cause. And furthermore: "milk bar"...FUNNY!!!! :-)

Posted by: Kevvy the Unnamed Source at June 13, 2005 01:54 PM (qb+8W)

6 I think that it is a personal opinion that she felt uncomfortable, but I wonder what the circumstances were. did the women whip it out or was she discreet? I would be very angry if my kid was hungry and I chose to feed her in public and someone actually said something to me. Would I rather leave my kid hungry? I don't think so. i personally never have breast fed in public, but if my child needed food, then my first and foremost responsibility is my child, not others people's comfort. People can choose to be respectful of others. We all know there is a discreet way to go about this and it's not hard to be discreet.

Posted by: kendra at June 13, 2005 04:08 PM (G2wLy)

7 up until now, a faithful reader of your blog, I have been very entertained. however, your comments about breastfeeding make me sick enough to delete you from my favorites list. breastfeeding is natural and an excellent way to nuture a baby. it is accessible anytime of the day and anywhere, but who the hell cares if a woman wants to feed their hungry baby? just because you are an uncomfortable aged prude about nursing doesn't mean that it is a bad thing or should only be done when "NECESSARY." Im not doggin those who choose not to breastfeed, just don't dog those that do. p.s. your friends suck p.s.s your blog is so LATE on the news have fun with your ill-opinionated blog inserts...

Posted by: kris at June 14, 2005 09:10 AM (6SOqg)

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Actress Brittany Murphy has stripped to the bare minimum for men's magazine Maxim and says that she has done it for the benefit of American troops.

"The reason that I chose to do this was because the magazine was kind enough to put a pin-up inside for the troops," Contactmusic.com quoted Murphy as saying.

"My cousin is overseas right now and he's a Marine. Maxim's doing a very kind thing in which they're sending, I believe, over 20,000 magazines overseas - and to our Bravehearts in the States," she said.

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Summer is here and dogs canÂ’t wear shades! Why make your best friend squint and bear it when GucciÂ’s given you a fabulous alternative: headgear for dogs.

Available in both classic beige or black Gucci logo fabric with red and green signature web trim. Now thatÂ’s a haute dog! Only $70!

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1 I must have this! Phoebe will be rocking this over the 4th of July weekend!

Posted by: pjdjd at June 13, 2005 07:39 AM (e3ftc)

2 If any dog should have it, it's Phoebe.

Posted by: Lawren at June 13, 2005 08:25 AM (bJB+W)

3 Cute but I'm betting the dog hates it.

Posted by: Nanc' at June 13, 2005 09:52 AM (Ailrt)

4 I can just see myself trying to wrestle my dog into headgear. I'd be the one wearing it.

Posted by: Shannon at June 13, 2005 12:31 PM (V5fwq)

5 Beyond unnecessary. Dogs already hate it bad enough when they have to wear "the cone"!

Posted by: Iceman at June 13, 2005 01:17 PM (Xx4xo)

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The Donald on The Jacko:

"I know him very well because he has apartments in buildings I have ... I have never found him to do anything wrong, he's been great. He lived in Trump Tower for a long time and he has always been great. If you look at [the accuser's] mother with the massages and the this and the that, I mean, give me a break," said Trump.

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American Beauty star Mena Suvari has found love again, less than a month after filing for divorce from cinematographer Robert Brinkmann.

The actress was spotted "making out" with Hollywood fitness trainer Jay Bulloch outside his apartment earlier this week after a lunch with mutual friends.

Suvari split from Brinkmann earlier this year, ending their five year marriage.

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1 MS has been taking private one on one sessions with Jay at LA Body Kinetics for over a year. I used to see her there and she was always cozy with her instructor. I think she found love before she ever dumped the hubbie.

Posted by: Suzie at August 07, 2005 12:15 PM (hYXtw)

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More than ten years after The American Film Institute initially offered him the honor, 'Star Wars' creator George Lucas accepted the 33rd AFI Life Achievement Award Thursday night.

Surrounded by admirers and colleagues, including original 'Star wars' cast members Harrison Ford, Mark Hamil, and Carrie Fisher, Lucas recalled how he originally turned down the Institute's offer and told them he wouldn't accept the prestigious award until he was at least 60-years-old. Now 61, he has gained world-wide acclaim as the mastermind behind not only the 'Star Wars' series, but a long list of classic films like 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' and 'American Graffiti.' "I love movies ... I love to watch them, I love to make them," Lucas said Thursday.

He joins past recipients of the AFI honor, like Martin Scorcese, Alfred Hitchcock, and Meryl Streep. The USA network will broadcast the ceremony on Monday, June 20 at 9 P.M.

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